HAVANA -- (AP) -- U.S. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle met with Cuban
 President Fidel Castro for seven hours during a three-day visit to the communist
 island, Cuban authorities said Monday.

 No details of the talks, which also included Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., were
 released.

 Roberto de Armas, the North American specialist of the Cuban Foreign Ministry,
 said the meeting began at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and lasted until 1:30 a.m. Sunday.

 The senators, who arrived Friday and left Sunday, made no public comments
 during their visit. Their offices in Washington confirmed the meeting but released
 no statements about it.

 A Monday article about the senators' visit from the government news agency
 Prensa Latina made no mention of Castro's meeting with the senators.

 It said only that the two Democrats spoke with Roberto Diaz Sotolongo, the
 justice minister and head of Cuba's anti-drug efforts, about cooperative steps
 between the nations to fight drug trafficking.

 It also said they met with Economy and Planning Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez.